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I was able to visit Machu Picchu for nearly free with the points I earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
Joseph Hostetler/Insider
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers coverage like car rental and trip delay insurance.
These benefits have saved me an average of $500 per year since I opened the card.
If you travel even occasionally, it’s worth booking with a card with travel insurance.
Read Insider’s guide to the best travel rewards credit cards.
The first travel credit card I ever opened was the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in 2014.
Having spent years diligently reading a collection of travel websites, it was the unanimously recommended credit card for beginners in the world of award travel. Its points were easy to use, and they were valuable enough to single-handedly fulfill bucket-list travel goals of mine (like visiting Machu Picchu and flying to the other side of the world in a lie-flat airplane seat).
I’ve received many thousands of dollars in value from earning and redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. But I’ve been thoroughly astonished at how much money I’ve saved from its ongoing benefits — namely, its various travel insurances. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is even better — though its annual fee is significantly higher.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently offers Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. That’s worth Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, per Insider’s valuations. And while I love using those points as part of my free-travel strategy, its travel insurance is the reason I’ll never cancel it.
Here’s what you can expect from Chase Sapphire credit card travel insurance.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Primary rental car insurance
Rental agency fees
When you pay for your rental car with either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® and waive the rental agency’s collision damage waiver, you’ll automatically receive primary rental car insurance covering damage or theft. This is an excellent perk, because the rental company’s in-house insurance can easily cost $15 or more per day.
I’ve used this benefit dozens of times, and have saved more than $800 from not being required to purchase proprietary insurance at the front desk.
Damage to the rental car
During a trip to Ireland, I scraped my rental car against a cement pillar in a parking lot. The damage was minimal, though there was a bit of paint missing. I informed the rental company of the mishap, and they told me they’d assess the damages and charge my card accordingly.
A few days later, there appeared on my credit card a charge for $2,300 — exorbitant for the minimal damage done to the car. I contacted Chase, and after sending a few documents regarding the accident, they sent me a check for $2,300 to cover the bill. There were no headaches, and I had the check within a few weeks.
Trip delay insurance
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best credit cards for trip delay insurance.
This is great for anyone who routinely flies during the holidays or through airports notorious for bad weather. Airlines generally aren’t responsible for any expenses you incur because of weather-related service disruptions. That means you’ll be on the hook for food, toiletries, changes of clothes, and a hotel room if you end up in that situation.
When you reserve your flight with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase will reimburse you (and immediate family traveling with you) for “reasonable expenses” such as:
Meals at the airport or at a restaurantRideshare expenses from the airport to a hotelHotel accommodations (nice ones, too)
To be eligible, one of the following things must have happened:
Your flight is delayed by more than 12 hoursYour delay causes you to stay overnight
You’ll be covered up to $500 per ticket. I’ve used trip delay insurance a handful of times, usually when I purchase a fare that is the last scheduled flight of the day. If my flight is delayed and I miss a connection, I’m stuck there until morning.
If your flight is delayed by 12 hours or warrants an overnight stay, you’re free to start swiping your card for free food, hotel, etc. Just file a claim and Chase will promptly refund you.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is even better, offering trip delay insurance that kicks in after just six hours of delay. Here’s how Sapphire Reserve trip delay insurance works.
Baggage delay insurance
When you reserve your flight with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’ll receive automatic baggage delay insurance. If your checked bag is delayed by more than six hours, you’re entitled to up to $100 per day in necessities, for up to five days.
Reasonable expenses include items like:
ClothingShoesToiletriesPhone chargers
During a trip a few years ago, my bag was lost for over a week. I received the full $500 payout from this card benefit, and purchased a new suit and dress shoes, as I was going to a conference and my formal wear was in my checked bag. All things considered, I’d say that delay was worth it to receive $500 in clothes.
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
It’s likely that a handful of your trip expenses are nonrefundable. When you pay for any qualifying prepaid travel that you can’t cancel without losing your money, such as a hotel stay, airplane ticket, cruise, etc. with either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’re covered for up to $10,000 per ticket. The maximum you can receive per trip is $20,000.
Lost luggage reimbursement
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® have identical coverages when a “common carrier” (basically the vessel on which you’re traveling — think airline or cruise ship) loses or damages your checked or carry-on bags.
In this case, you and your immediate family traveling with you will each be covered for up to $3,000.
Travel accident insurance
Of all the travel insurance you’ll hopefully never need, travel accident insurance must be at the top of the list.
For travel accident insurance to trigger, one of the following tragedies must occur during your trip:
Loss of speechLoss of hearingLoss of at least one hand or footloss of sight in at least one eyeLoss of thumb and index finger of the same handLoss of life
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will cover you up to $500,000, depending on which disaster(s) have occurred. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® will cover you up to $1,000,000.
Emergency medical and dental coverage
One benefit that the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card does not is medical and dental insurance. When you use the card to reserve a trip that takes place 100 miles or more from your home, you and your immediate family will be covered up to $2,500 in qualifying medical expenses.
Emergency evacuation insurance
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® can also reimburse you for transportation to a hospital to get the care you need when disaster strikes on a trip between five and 60 days in length. You can even be covered for the price of a round-trip coach flight for a friend or relative to visit you — though you must be hospitalized for more than eight days.
The maximum reimbursement you can receive from this benefit is $100,000.
Chase Sapphire travel insurance compared
Travel insurance benefit
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®Rental car insurance
Primary insurance covering up to the cash value of the car toward theft or collision damage (more expensive cars may not qualify)
Primary insurance covering up to $75,000 in coverage against theft and collision damageTrip delay insurance
Up to $100 in coverage per day (max five days) for reasonable expenses after a delay of at least 12 hours (or required overnight stay)
Up to $100 per day (max five days) for reasonable expenses after a delay of at least six hours (or required overnight stay)Baggage delay insurance
Up to $100 in coverage per day (max five days) when your bag is delayed by at least six hours
Up to $100 in coverage per day (max five days) when your bag is delayed by at least six hoursTrip cancellation/interruption insurance
Up to $10,000 in coverage per ticket (max $20,000 per trip) for prepaid nonrefundable travel expenses
Up to $10,000 in coverage per ticket (max $20,000 per trip) for prepaid nonrefundable travel expensesLost luggage reimbursement
Up to $3,000 in coverage each for primary cardholder and immediate family when common carrier loses or damages luggage
Up to $3,000 in coverage each for primary cardholder and immediate family when common carrier loses or damages luggageTravel accident insurance
Up to $500,000 in coverage for accidental death or dismemberment
Up to $1,000,000 in coverage for accidental death or dismembermentEmergency medical and dental coverageN/A
Up to $2,500 in coverage for medical expenses for primary cardholder and immediate family when traveling at least 100 miles from home
Emergency evacuation insuranceN/A
Up to $100,000 for emergency evacuation expenses
Chase Sapphire travel insurance frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Which Chase cards provide trip cancellation/interruption insurance?
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® offer trip cancellation and interruption insurance. You’ll also find this benefit on some small business cards, such as the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, as well as many cobranded credit cards, including the United Club℠ Infinite Card, The World Of Hyatt Credit Card, and United℠ Explorer Card.
What if I become ill with the coronavirus?
As always, cardmembers and their travel companions whose illness prevents them from traveling are covered under the trip cancellation or trip interruption protections with their credit card. They will receive the same coverage if they’re quarantined.
Is the Chase Sapphire travel insurance worth it?
If you travel with even modest frequency, you need a credit card with travel insurance. And if you’re the type of traveler that normally pays for travel insurance, Chase Sapphire cards can save you many hundreds of dollars over the course of a single year — which can easily justify the annual fee you’ll pay.
How do you activate Chase Sapphire travel insurance?
To use the travel insurance that comes with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, all you need to do is pay for your travel with your card. If you booked your flights with airline miles, your trip will still be covered as long as you use your card to pay for the taxes and fees associated with your award flight.